Spiritual and Intuitive Sensitivity

Do You Have High Intuitive Sensitivity?

Are you a highly sensitive person? Would you describe yourself as naturally intuitive, and highly attuned to the emotional needs and feelings of other people? Do you often put other peoples needs before your own? Are you busy all the time? Do you often suffer from low energy, fatigue, and overwhelm?

If you are familiar with high sensitivity, you may already be aware that there is a specific set of physical health concerns which affect sensitive and highly intuitive people. First, there is an increased risk of developing chronic fatigue conditions amongst people with high levels of empathy or intuition. Then there is an increased prevalence of other physical ailments including inflammatory problems, digestive issues, auto-immune disease, allergies, and intolerance to chemicals, EMF, and other items.

Relationships can also prove challenging for the highly sensitive or intuitive person. This is often linked to an underlying intuitive ability which recognises deeply the emotions of other people. When intuitives become aware of others emotional pain, they naturally want to ease this suffering. Unfortunately this high level of empathy tends to attract people who take advantage of this kindness. It is common for people with high levels of empathy to be in relationships where they are taking most of the emotional burden, and not receiving adequate support themselves. This can lead to chronic stress and emotional burnout.

Often heart centred and intuitive people have a deep desire to go into the world and help others. But because they have not yet recognised, or learnt to manage their trait, high levels of adrenal fatigue often prevent them from doing so.

On a spiritual level, highly sensitive or intuitive people may find themselves feeling different to many of the people around them. There is often a feeling of not quite fitting in. This constant frustration may lead to the development of addictive behaviours as a way to reduce underlying emotional turmoil. In addition to alcohol, food, and drugs, spiritual seeking can also be a way of avoiding this discomfort.

The good news...

Yes, there might be a few challenges for highly sensitive or intuitive people. But these problems are outweighed by all the positive factors which go hand in hand with these traits. HSP's, intuitives and empaths are, by their nature, warm and caring people. Trustworthy, compassionate, reliable. Sensitives often follow paths which provide real benefit to other people, and which make the world a better place. Commonly this group of heart-centred people tend to become counsellors, therapists, healers, carers, parents... to name but a few.

So if you are struggling with some of the common issues which are associated with sensitivity, you may be relieved to know that it is possible to learn how to reduce the things that cause difficulty, and to fully embrace yourself as you are. Learn how to reduce unwanted physical symptoms. How to attract healthy, loving, supportive relationships. How to recognise a situation which is emotionally draining. Perhaps most importantly, explore how your sensitivity relates to your life purpose, spirituality, and embracing an authentic life.

Traits of People with High Intuitive Sensitivity

Strong feelings of connection to other people and nature

Highly conscientious and reliable

Very attuned to other peoples emotions and well-being

Easily overwhelmed by anger, conflict, and hostility

Sensitive to pain and physical difficulties

Intuitively understand situations, underlying meanings, and agendas

Spiritual interest in life, dislikes 'superficial' activities

Able to see beyond superficial behaviours in people

Acutely sensitive to major life changes

Appreciates art, music, and peaceful activities

Dislikes judgement toward other people

Reacts strongly to intense stimuli - noise, odour, sound

Learning to Thrive with High Spiritual Sensitivity

Less:

Feeling frazzled and exhausted

Constantly providing support for everyone else

Relationships which turn out to be emotionally draining

Drama, chaos, and stress

Fatigue, pain, illness

Isolation because you feel overwhelmed

Persevering because you 'are emotionally strong'

More:

Feeling energised, and full of vitality

An abundance of self-care

Healthy, supportive relationships

Peace, contentment, happiness

Embracing your life and unique gifts

Social interaction with like minded people

Healthy boundaries and skills for living

Did You Know?

There is a spectrum on which people experience heightened levels of sensitivity:

Some people are born with raised levels of sensitivity to other peoples emotions and feelings, and are naturally empathic and intuitive. These people tend to be soul-centred, nurturing and emotive, and often pursue a life which is based on altruism.

People may also develop higher levels of sensitivity to chemicals, noise, light, and electro-magnetic fields due to prolonged levels of stress and anxiety. This causes the sympathetic nervous system to keep the body in 'fight or 'flight' mode, which produces long term effects on physiological functioning. This type of sensitivity may not correlate with any spiritual awareness or desire to explore personal development. It has a stronger physiological basis, and can be controlled through stress reduction techniques.

Other people may experience trauma, adversity and emotional distress which leads to heightened physical sensitivity levels plus a corresponding development of spiritual awareness, and a growing interest in exploring the deeper meaning of life. This may be known as a spiritual crisis. Whilst it may feel overwhelming at the time, it can be a symptom of rapid spiritual awakening, and produce meaningful and therapeutic results for the person involved.

Relationships and Spiritual or Intuitive Sensitivity

Common problems for sensitive people:

People pleasing- always putting the needs of others above those of ourselves

Ignoring our own emotional and physical needs (warning- often an 'invisible' pattern!)

Having a 'get on with it' attitude toward life

Repressing our own feelings. opinions and expectations,

Telling ourselves that we are being oversensitive or expecting too much from others

Taking responsibility for other people's feelings and experiences

Developing Healthy Relationships

Relationships are one of the most common causes of ongoing stress for people who have high intuitive sensitivity, chronic fatigue or related conditions.

This a particularly complicated area; in part because there are so many different different relationship dynamics and patterns which can be playing out, and partly because our relationships with other people affects most areas of our lives.

Relationships impact health in several ways:

The impact of challenging family relationships and behaviours whilst growing up, especially when exposed to highly controlling, overwhelming or traumatic situations, can lead to a predisposition toward developing heightened sensitivity and chronic illness as an adult

Development of unhealthy relationship patterns, including towards oneself, can develop as a result of exposure to adverse childhood conditions

Until such patterns are recognised and changed, they often continue; creating ongoing high levels of stress for the person involved. These high levels of stress underpin the development, and continuation, of chronic illness and disease.

The solution begins by recognising the ways in which our current behaviour patterns and relationships might be continuing to keep us in an active stress response. Then to begin making changes which will lead to healthier relationship dynamics. This applies to the relationship we have with our self, plus the interactions that we have with other people, and the world around us.

How High Sensitivity Affects Relationships

People who have high levels of empathy, intuition and sensitivity to the needs and emotions of others, also often have difficulty in establishing healthy boundaries within relationships. In addition, highly empathic or sensitive people also tend to attract others who take advantage of this trait. The saying 'opposites attract' contains an element of truth. People with little or no empathy are often drawn to highly sensitive people because they are abundant in the qualities which they lack; empathy and sensitivity. Even on a lesser scale, the inability to maintain healthy relationship boundaries for intuitive or spiritually aligned people can lead to illness including depression, anxiety, burnout, chronic fatigue or pain.

For spiritually aligned people; those who value their ability to always focus on the good in people, to overlook imperfections, or to take a 'bigger picture' approach on life, relationships can be troublesome. It can be difficult to establish where to draw boundaries when you are trying to develop qualities like compassion. Likewise, when you have children, or elderly relatives to care for; how exactly do you distinguish between accepting a natural level of responsibility, whilst also allowing them to lead their own life, and simultaneously maintaining your own well-being?

One of the keys to establishing this balance is to begin by establishing a greater sense of your own identity first. To really acknowledge your own needs, and to make sure they are met. This includes things like not taking on too much, learning how to say no effectively and consistently, and getting plenty of rest. It also includes meeting all of your own emotional needs. Not repressing your emotions, in favour of meeting other people's needs. It also involves learning how to feel comfortable with feelings and emotions which may initially feel uncomfortable. Since most of our unhelpful behaviours, patterns or addictions are driven by a desire to move away from experiencing uncomfortable emotion, this is perhaps one of the most important skills that you can learn, and the most empowering.

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About Us

Daniella Saunders, BA (Hons), RGN, is a holistic health consultant, philosopher and spiritual counsellor who helps people to improve their well-being. Daniella has a specific interest in the relationship between stress, trauma and chronic illness, and how this can facilitate personal and spiritual transformation.